New Delhi: The government will send notices to telecom firms by the end of this week, as part of a probe into a telecoms licences and airwaves scam that a government auditor said resulted in a potential $39 billion revenue loss for the government, telecom minister Kapil Sibal said on Thursday.

The telecom ministry had said it would send notices to five companies that were given 85 telecoms licences in 2008, asking why their licences should not be cancelled after the government auditor found the firms were not eligible for them.

The ministry will also send separate notices to 119 telecoms licencees that have not complied with services rollout obligations.